1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auger type ice making machine, and more particularly to an improvement of a connecting mechanism of an auger with an output shaft of a drive mechanism in the ice making machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-open Publication No. 56-163270 is an auger type ice making machine which comprises an upright cylindrical evaporator housing supplied with fresh water for ice making and cooled from its outer periphery, an auger mounted for rotary movement within the evaporator housing and a drive mechanism for effecting rotary movement of the auger, wherein the auger is connected at its lower end to an upper end of an output shaft of the drive mechanism and is driven by the power applied from the drive mechanism to scrape ice crystals off an internal freezing surface of the evaporator housing and to advance the scraped ice crystals upward.
As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the upper end portion 1 of the output shaft of the drive mechanism is formed with external spline, while the lower end portion 2 of the auger is also formed with external spline. Thus, the upper end portion 1 of the output shaft and the lower end portion 2 of the auger are splined with internal spline of a joint sleeve 3 and confronted to one another at their distal ends to effect torque transmission through the joint sleeve 3.
As in the auger type ice making machine, the upper end portion 1 of the output shaft and the lower end portion 2 of the auger are confronted to one another at their distal ends, the height of the ice making mechanism is inevitably increased, and the size of the ice making machine is enlarged. In the case that such a joint sleeve is used for connection of the auger to the output shaft of the drive mechanism the number of component parts is increased.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an auger type ice making machine wherein the connecting mechanism of the auger with the output shaft of the drive mechanism is improved to reduce the height of the ice making mechanism for providing the ice making machine in a small size and to reduce the number of component parts for decreasing the manufacturing cost.
According to the present invention, the object is accomplished by providing an auger type ice making machine including an upright cylindrical evaporator housing, an auger mounted for rotary movement within the evaporator housing to scrape off ice crystals formed on an internal freezing surface of the evaporator and having a lower end portion drivingly connected to an upper end portion of an output shaft of a drive mechanism, wherein the lower end portion of the auger is in the form of either a columnar portion or a cylindrical portion, while the upper portion of the output shaft is in the form of either a cylindrical portion or a columnar portion, and wherein the columnar portion of the auger or output shaft is coupled within the cylindrical portion of the output shaft or auger for drive connection between the output shaft and the auger.
In an aspect of the present invention, the lower end portion of the auger is in the form of a columnar portion formed thereon with external spline, while the upper end portion of the output shaft is in the form of a cylindrical portion formed therein with internal spline, and wherein the columnar portion of the auger is coupled within the cylindrical portion of the output shaft and engaged at its external spline with the internal spline of the output shaft for drive connection between the output shaft and the auger.
In another aspect of the present invention, the output shaft is formed therein with an axial bore in open communication with a space between the lower end portion of the auger and the upper end portion of the output shaft to discharge the water leakage from a mechanical seal mechanism between the lower part of the evaporator housing and the lower end shaft portion of the auger.